Used chiefly as a demonstration apparatus, the Wimshurst machine is an electrostatic device capable of generating high voltages. The device has two large glass or mica discs that rotate in opposite directions, and each disc is in contact with a thin metal wiper that produces a charge on the disc by induction. The machine was named for its inventor, British engineer James Wimshurst, who developed it in the early 1880s. What defect in earlier electrostatic generators did Wimshurst eliminate?More...

Early in the American Revolution and soon after the battles of Lexington and Concord, colonial troops laid siege to Boston. When they began occupying hills overlooking the city, newly reinforced British troops attacked. After two failed assaults, a third charge dislodged the Americans, who had run out of gunpowder. Though the British technically won, their unexpectedly heavy casualties were a psychological blow, and American morale soared. On what hill was the battle actually fought—and why?More...

Gounod was French composer who also studied for the priesthood and worked as an organist. Throughout his life, he remained torn between the theatre and the church. His reputation largely rests on his hugely popular 1859 opera, Faust, but he also wrote 15 lesser-known operas, 17 masses, more than 150 songs, and two symphonies. One of his short pieces, "Funeral March of a Marionette," became well-known—albeit not by name—as the theme to what popular TV show beginning in the 1950s?More...

Quotation of the Day

Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another.

The Alabama Blueberry Festival is a one-day celebration of the blueberry in Brewton, which is in the only area of Alabama still shipping blueberries commercially. The celebration, dedicated to Dr. W. T. Brightwell, whose improved varieties of the Rabbiteye blueberry were introduced here in 1961, features tours of the local blueberry farms. Events include live entertainment, children's rides, arts and crafts, an antique car show, a food contest, and food booths selling all kinds of locally prepared blueberry dishes, among them cobbler, waffles, ice cream and cakes. More...

Cell phone theft is a costly and dangerous problem, and it is on the rise. It has become so prevalent, in fact, that it has even been given a catchy nickname: Apple-picking. Some US lawmakers believe that a "kill switch" that would render a mobile device inoperable if it were stolen would deter robbers and are therefore ramping up pressure on mobile phone makers to incorporate such a feature in their devices. The cell phone industry has faced criticism in the past for its apparent unwillingness to institute changes that would help combat theft.More...

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